Highways England will next week begin a seven month programme of lane closures on the old (M48) Severn Bridge to carry out inspections of the suspension cables.
The works will require one westbound lane to be closed from 14 March to 2 September, with lane one eastbound closed from 16 May until 17 October.
During the lane closures, vehicles over 2.9 metres wide will be prohibited from using the M48 Severn Bridge.
The bridge will also be closed totally over four weekends to enable the lifting of an inspection gantry to a high level on the suspension cable. The first full closure is planned for the weekend of 16-17 April.
Diversion routes across the M4 Second Severn Crossing will be in place during the weekend closures.
The Second Severn Crossing with the Bridge in the background
Chris Pope, project manager for Highways England, said: ‘The inspections are vital to allow us to understand the current condition of the suspension cables and confirm that the measures that we implemented over the last 10 years have been effective in ensuring the long-term viability of the bridge and the safety of its users.’
According to the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), citing House of Commons records, significant levels of corrosion were found on suspension cables on the bridge in 2006.
A dehumidification system was installed, along with an acoustic monitoring system to track further deterioration.
Similar problems with cable corrosion were found on the Forth Road Bridge, leading to the commissioning of the Queensferry Crossing, its eventual replacement, which is due to open later this year.
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